UK airport to stop all flights from today before full closure after 90 years

A UK airport has officially ceased all flights from today ahead of its closing for good next month. The Coventry Airport site is set to become the home of a new multi-billion-pound green energy plant. Flights will officially end today, May 9, and the airport will permanently shut on June 11, according to the Civil Aviation Authority. A CAA spokesperson said Coventry Airport has "given formal notice to us of its plan to close the airport permanently with effect from 11 June 2026". The airport will be replaced by Greenpower Park which will be a site for vehicle battery production and recycling. The site is located within the West Midlands Investment Zone — a government initiative intended to develop the region’s manufacturing sector. It's predicted that more than 30,000 jobs will be created and attract a possible £5.5 billion in private investment, according to the West Midlands Combined Authority. The site, originally established in 1936 as Baginton Aerodrome, served as RAF Baginton, a fighter airfield during the Second World War. Over the years, it has accommodated freight, small aircraft, and occasional commercial flights. Coventry Airport also played host to a Papal visit in 1982, when Pope John Paul II toured the UK and drew an estimated 350,000 people to the site. Many locals have voiced their opinions on the closure, reflecting on the airport's rich history and the potential consequences for local businesses and the wider community. Hards Travel began operating package flights to Spain, France and Italy from the airport in the 190s and Thomsonfly began operating jet passenger flights in 2004. Since 2008, there have been no passenger flights from the airport.